Building a product from scratch is a great exercise — no matter the results that come from it.
It forces you to think not only about what you want, but about what other people want.
It forces you to think about how other people come to understand things — how they will understand your product and why they should give it their time.
It forces you to question assumptions, to recognize the obvious may not actually be obvious, and to relentlessly simplify.
It makes you think about the power and impact of every single word you use in your product’s design and its presentation.
“Seen” is not the same as “Watched.” “Rate” is not the same as “Rank.”
It forces you to think about goals. To choose a result you hope to generate.
It makes you recognize your success depends on your ability to create a product that serves two seemingly contradictory purposes.
It must be something other people want to use in order to accomplish what you want to achieve.
The product must be symbiotic to succeed. Both goals must be met. Everybody must be happy.
It’s like what they say about a business partnership or deal — it’s only a win if both sides win.
A product is only a success if both sides feel successful after using it.